Archive for February, 2012
What Makes A GREAT Team? February 29, 2012
John Maxwell said it best…teamwork makes the dream work.
As I’ve reflected on the team that the Lord has blessed me with I’ve came to the following conclusions…
- The right team has chemistry, people don’t just love the work they do but also they love the people they’ve been called to do the work with. If people don’t love one another the team will be dysfunctional.
- The right team lightens the load for everyone in the room because problems do not belong to “me” but rather they belong to “we!”
- The right team has an open environment where truth, in love, can be spoken and people love the church and one another too much to allow team members to make a ridiculous decision.
- The right team will embrace uncomfortable conversations and will not drift towards making everyone in the room happy but rather making the right decision.
- The right team will refuse to allow personal preferences to dictate decisions.
- The right team will bring in people from outside the norm when trying to make a decision that directly impacts a particular area, understanding that this does not slow down the process but actually speeds it up…people are way more likely to buy into a decision when they feel as if they’ve had input.
- The right team will not fight to maintain status quo but rather to do everything possible to advance the cause.
- The right team will make hard decisions, knowing that the day they don’t forces them into cruise control where the biggest desire will eventually become to make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible.
- The right team is way more obsessed with their dreams of what could be rather than their memories of what has been!
I love the team I serve with!
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church February 28, 2012
Howdy NewSpring Church, EIGHT things I want to share with you today…
#1 – Over 50 people prayed to receive Christ this past Sunday…I’m STILL PUMPED about that!!! We can NEVER allow people coming from death to life to become normal, stale and boring!!!
#2 – We had our first “preview” services at our Spartanburg campus this past Sunday…and 907 people showed up between our two services! AND…THREE PEOPLE RECEIVED CHRIST, including a husband and a wife!!! AND…our church set another non-holiday/special event attendance record with nearly 17,000 in attendance across all of our campuses! We’re going to reach 100,000 in this state for Christ…and then the next generation is going to reach 100 million!!!
#3 – People receive Christ EVERY TIME our church addresses the issue of money! EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! We would not even be Christians were it not for the amazing generosity POURED out all over us from God (see John 3:16 & II Corinthians 9:15.) A few things to remember from Sunday…
- Our problem with the economy in America is not scarcity…it’s irresponsibility! (Sorry about using a Chick Fil A illustration on Sunday and making so many of you crave it!!!)
- If we will put God first (Matthew 6:33) by giving Him our best (Malachi 1:6-14), then He promises to take care of the rest!!!
- Money always tells the truth (Matthew 6:21!)
- It is IMPOSSIBLE to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ and hold back this area of our lives. (Matthew 6:24) And…the love of money is the #1 thing that holds most people back from having an unbelievable relationship with Jesus!
- Jesus said if He is first in our finances then we do NOT need to worry about money (Matthew 6:25-32) because our financial foundation is not tied into the fate of the American economy but rather the FAITHFULNESS of God…and while the American economy is unstable (there have been 12 recessions since the Great Depression), God’s faithfulness and mercies are made NEW EVERY MORNING! (Lamentations 3:21-26!)
- It’s so hard at times to trust God with our finances…and when that happens just “close your eyes and run!” (Had to be there!)
- All God does is win…and 90% with God is WAY better than 100% without Him!
#4 – Learning how to handle money in a responsible manner IS discipleship!!! There are over 2,350 verses in the Bible on money, wealth and possessions (more than on the subject of faith and prayer combined!) If God said THAT MUCH about it, then it HAS TO BE IMPORTANT! With that in mind NewSpring Church is offering a FREE class on budgeting at every campus…here is the website with more information and an opportunity for you to get signed up!
#5 – This coming Sunday we’re going to deal with how to handle stress, panic attacks, anxiety, worry and doubt! I wrote about it yesterday right here, I’m believing hundreds thousands of people are going to receive hope and encouragement this weekend! BRING SOMEBODY!
#6 – If you are a parent of a KidSpring Kid then here is what they are starting THIS COMING SUNDAY…it’s going to be AWESOME!
#7 – Parents, registration for the Gauntlet is REALLY starting to gain momentum! (More info here!) For those who may not know…The Gauntlet is our week long summer camp for students who have just completed 6th – 12th grade! It’s one of my FAVORITE things that I have the privilege of participating in every year! Your child NEEDS TO BE THERE!!! Trust me!!! And don’t worry if they “don’t have any friends that are going” because they will have LOTS of friends when they get back home!!!
#8 – Keep our church in your prayers as our church will be hosting our annual conference for churches and church leaders called “Unleash” NEXT Thursday! There are 2,800 church leaders from literally all over the world that will be here at NewSpring Church for a day of encouragement, inspiration and learning. It is an honor for us to be able to host them…and for those who have already signed up to volunteer on that day I want to say a huge “thank you” in advance!!! (And…if you want to volunteer or find out more just call our church office in Anderson for more information – 864-226-6585!)
That’s all for this week…I love my church!
This Coming Sunday At NewSpring February 27, 2012
Are you (or someone you know) stressed?
Is anxiety dominating your life?
Are you worried?
Anyone have panic attacks?
Anyone had a meltdown lately because you feel the weight of the world is crashing down on you?
You’re not alone!
Stress, anxiety and full-blown panic attacks are becoming more and more prominent in our society.
People are worried today more than ever before.
And it doesn’t have to be that way.
For the three years I battled with depression I also dealt with anxiety, stress and even had several panic attacks. (And, like I said yesterday, people that are depressed sometimes do not deal with these things…and people who deal with these things aren’t necessarily depressed…I just happened to be going through both at the same time.)
AND…there is a way out!!!
You are not a slave to your circumstances, and your emotions do not have to be controlled by your environment.
This coming Sunday at NewSpring Church we are going to dive into God’s Word & see what the Bible says about how to overcome fear, anxiety and stress! AND…I can say from the Scriptures and from personal experience it has very little to do with adjusting our circumstances but rather adjusting the way we see things.
Like I said in regards to depression…I was DOMINATED by stress, anxiety and worry for years…and today I’m walking in victory and am no longer controlled by it.
Sure, there are still times that it tries to creep into my thinking…but just like II Corinthians 10:5 says, we MUST learn to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.
You do not have to be stressed about the economy, marriage, being single, a wayward child or problems at work. Scripture clearly teaches how it is ok to be concerned but not consumed with our situation…and VICTORY IS POSSIBLE & PROMISED for those who are in Christ.
See you Sunday…and if you want to read Scripture in order to prepare then dive into Daniel 3.
Beginning Next Sunday In KidSpring… February 26, 2012
Ok Parents, THIS begins in KidSpring next week!!! My little girl is PUMPED, it’s going to be AWESOME!
I Should Be Concerned About Me If… February 23, 2012
#1 – My study of God’s Word/theology are leading me to greater levels of arrogance rather than greater levels of love, care and compassion for other people. (John 5:39-40!)
#2 – I desire to have conversations about people far from God but actually don’t have a heart to see them converted to Christ. (As was the case with the disciples when they talked about the guy in John 9:1-2 but didn’t want to talk to him!)
#3 – I secretly rejoice whenever I hear about something bad or unfortunate to someone who I perceive to be more successful than me.
#4 – I always have a bad attitude and when confronted about it I always reply, “that’s just the way I am!” (See Philippians 2:5…and keep in mind that Paul wrote that sentence from a prison cell!)
#5 – The closer people get to me the less they actually love and respect me.
#6 – I have a much greater passion for the comfortable and secure rather than taking a step of faith and embracing the uncomfortable and unknown. (As I’ve said before, if we are not willing to embrace the uncomfortable we will eventually be unfaithful.) See Hebrews 11:6
#7 – Everyone always speaks well of me! (See Luke 6:26)
#8 – I am tired, exhausted and emotionally spent but refuse to slow down and dismiss what I’m going through as a phase of life and tell those closest to me that “one day it will just get better.” (Remember, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.)
#9 – I see people who don’t believe exactly like me as somehow being less than me.
#10 – There is something about my private life that, if it became public, would disqualify me from ministry.
Why I Use Twitter/Social Media February 22, 2012
I saw some chatter several weeks ago in internet world that caused me to think and reflect about a few things, specifically in regards to why I use twitter…thus prompting me to write this post. (And let me be very clear that not everyone will agree with my thoughts, which is ok, I am not trying to win an argument here, just expressing how I feel.)
I basically use twitter for two reasons…
#1 – To Communicate To NewSpring Church
I do not have a Facebook account yet (we’re working on it though) and so I have found that one of the most effective ways I can communicate with people who attend NewSpring during the week is through twitter. I have found that throwing random tweets out about what I happen to be doing allows a big church to feel small and it allows me to share information to everyone in our church.
#2 – To Encourage Church Leaders
I believe church leaders really are the most important people on the planet. Church leaders have more potential to bring positive change to the world than any government official that has ever lived….
And church leaders are WAY under-encouraged.
So, I try to do what I can when I am led to tweet something positive and encouraging to church leaders.
However, recently I came into contact with an idea that seems to make the two reasons I use twitter contradict. Let me explain…
I’ve seen it said in internet world that a pastor should not tweet things like,
- “Had a really amazing service today as BLANK number of people were baptized!”
- “Saw BLANK number of people receive Christ today!”
- “Ran out of room in our 11:15 service at our BLANK campus!”
- “Best service we’ve ever had at BLANK church!”
I could go on, but you can see that it is the opinion of some for pastors and church leaders to NOT celebrate publicly when God is doing amazing things in their churches.
Why?
We seem to think it is ok for pastors to celebrate when their favorite football teams seem to accomplish something that isn’t really eternally significant! OR…it’s even cool for pastors to tweet/communicate about events like the Oscars or the Grammys…
So why not celebrate what God IS doing in the church?
The only reason that I keep seeing is that “it makes other church planters and leaders feel bad.”
Really?
WOW…I would have thought the opposite.
The primary reason I tweet is for NewSpring Church, the secondary is for church leaders, and I would hope that church leaders who are kingdom minded could celebrate anything that God is doing anywhere.
If seeing that God is blessing somewhere else (other than your church) causes you to “feel bad” then you most likely have one of two issues.
#1 – You Have Fallen Captive To Comparison.
As I once heard Bishop TD Jakes say, “some men never leave the locker room!”
Church leader, God has called you to do what He has called you to do where He has called you to do it. THE ONLY thing you should compare your ministry to is whether or not you are being completely obedient to His calling.
You are not called to be Andy Stanley…or Craig Groeschel (hands down the BEST looking pastor on the planet…I’m jealous) or even Steven Furtick!!! You are called to be YOU!!! Some people can’t see what God is doing right in front of their eyes because they are too busy being envious of what He is doing somewhere else.
The Apostle Paul warns about comparisons in II Corinthians 10:12, affirmed the same God working in different ministries in Galatians 2:8 and told us to pay attention to business at home in Galatians 6:4.
Be who God has called you to be! Do what God has called you to do! And stop trying to “measure up” to standards and expectations you feel others have placed on you but God hasn’t placed on you!!! (There is INCREDIBLE freedom in this line of thinking!)
#2 – You Are Not Kingdom Minded.
I know that sounds harsh, but stay with me for a second.
In Luke 15 Jesus said the angels in heaven throw a party when one sinner repents of his/her ways.
A PARTY FOR ONE PERSON!
A celebration!!!
If the angels (who know God and His heart better than we do) celebrate, shouldn’t we?
Or is it that we want to celebrate what God is doing with and through us…but not what He’s doing elsewhere because it make take away some of the attention that we secretly crave.
When I hear of another church running out of room in one of their services, I celebrate!!! PLEASE! That’s MORE PEOPLE coming to church, hearing about Jesus!!! That does not make me sad or mad, that PUMPS ME UP!!!
When I see on twitter that a pastor is celebrating one, or a dozen or even a hundred people receiving Christ on a Sunday…I celebrate!!! How in the heck can that make a Kingdom minded person feel bad? PEOPLE CAME FROM DEATH TO LIFE!!!
Christians seem to be really amazing at critiquing another ministry but not celebrating it!
And…if it makes you feel bad because it isn’t happening in your church then use it to motivate you, to set your heart on fire, to BEG GOD to do something great in your midst rather than being upset that He is doing something great somewhere else other than your church.
I remember when NewSpring Church was a year or two old and I would hear of God doing a great work somewhere else I would celebrate and then pray a prayer something like, “God, if you could do that over there then you can do greater things here.” God doing great things in other places always motivated me to BEG HIM for more!!
The world kicks our rear end when it comes to celebrating…which is sad because they have nothing eternally worthy of celebration!!!
So, as I continue tweeting I will continue to communicate to our church what is going on across five (about to be eight) campuses. I want everyone to know as much as possible as we are ONE CHURCH in many locations across the state.
And, I will continue to try to encourage church leaders. But…church leaders, if quotes about what God is doing here seems to dishearten you or even discourage you then I really do apologize, that has never been the intent at all. However, if that is the case then I would challenge you to pray and ask the Lord to allow you to be more kingdom minded…
Because…when one church “wins” WE ALL WIN!
We are on the same team!!!
Let’s CELEBRATE!!!
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church February 21, 2012
Howdy NewSpring Church, EIGHT things I want to share with you today…
#1 – I’m STILL in awe of what God has done so far in our “Overwhelmed” series so far…and we’re only two weeks in. This past Sunday, I believe, will be looked back on for years as a benchmark day in our church where people truly came to grips with, “It’s OK to not be OK…but it’s not OK to stay not OK…because in Christ I CAN overcome what has me overwhelmed!”
#2 – Depression is a very real issue…it has impacted every single one of us (either it has happened to us or someone we know.) God took me through a three year period and I can honestly say that His mercy was made so obvious to me in that time. My entire perspective on life changed when I stopped trying to get everything else around me to change and began asking God to change what was broken inside of me!!! He humbled me! Broke me! AND…RESTORED ME!!! Only God can use pain for progress!!!
#3 – Going to church should be WAY more than merely making an appearance and pretending to be perfect. I’ve worked with people who know Christ now for over 20 years…and reality is that life IS messy on either side of the cross. When we meet Christ the PENALTY of our sin is paid for…but the PRESENCE of sin and what we’ve done in our lives is still there, and it does take time to get the bad seed out and the good seed planted and producing a good crop (see Galatians 6:7-9!)
#4 – As I wrote about yesterday (right here), THANK YOU for the amazing amount of prayers and support you guys have poured out on me and my family!
#5 – I’m SO looking forward to the next couple of weeks as we are going to specifically deal with…
- This coming Sunday – How to NOT worry (EVER) about the economy. I’ve seen more people freak out over the economy during the past few years than EVER before! Every single one of us have had some sort of economic worry or concern. However, JESUS HIMSELF said that people who follow Him are not supposed to worry about it…and we are diving into His Word Sunday to find out how!!
- The next Sunday (March 4) we are going to specifically deal with how to overcome fear and anxiety. Do you (or someone you know) have panic attacks and anxiety issues? I’ve battled through them as well…and the Lord taught me a lot through it. Depression and then fear/anxiety do not always go together. I know people who are NOT depressed but really do struggle with fear and anxiety…and on that Sunday we will dive into Scripture to see what God’s Word says about it!!! I’m believing A LOT OF PEOPLE are going to be set free!!!
#6 – If you are on Facebook then you need to connect with us at NewSpring on our facebook page right here!!
#7 – Gotta say it because I’m more excited about it than should be allowed…but Gauntlet sign ups are picking up speed/intensity, it’s going to be the BEST YEAR EVER!!! Go here for more info and to get registered.
#8 – There are less than 150 spots (make that 100 spots) left for the Real Marriage Event with Pastor Mark Driscoll here at NewSpring Church on March 23-24. If you are planning on attending you had better get registered ASAP. It’s going to be amazing…seriously, this is one of THE BEST investments you could make into your marriage (OR your future marriage!)
That’s it for today…can’t wait for Sunday (and the KidSpring kids leading us in worship!!!) I love my church!